Exercise can be a difficult thing to navigate during eating disorder recovery. I often find that clients struggle to differentiate between whether they are truly exercising for enjoyment or if they are exercising with eating disorder motives. There are a few ways to first identify if you have a dysfunctional relationship with exercise, and several steps to take in order to find balance and make peace with it once more.
Eating disorder recovery coaches assist clients in reaching their treatment goals in real life situations by providing ongoing support, challenges, and serving as both a role model and a guide. Coaching is an important aspect of treatment by accompanying clients in everyday situations as well as providing exposure and response prevention. Coaches are trained in how to best support a client in making day-to-day behavior changes necessary for recovery.
Thanksgiving is of course a day where we practice gratitude. But, for those healing from an eating disorder, gratitude is a powerful tool for sustained recovery best practiced every day. Eating disorder behavior and thoughts often create a false sense of reality that steers us away from important, worthwhile aspects of our lives and personal identity. Expressing gratitude intentionally for the non-eating disorder components of our lives reminds us that we are and will continue to be more than just our eating disorders. Here are 4 ways to increase your expression of recovery gratitude:
Original article from Indy’s Child
Anyone else feel anxious? Given the current state of our reality, I am assuming that question would be met with a resounding “YES.”
So, what is anxiety anyway? Anxiety can be defined as a feeling of nervousness, worry or unease, typically about a future event or a situation with an uncertain outcome. Although uncomfortable, the purpose of anxiety is important and can often be helpful. Our experience of anxiety is natural and exists to alert us about possible future threats that might require a heightened state of vigilance. Anxiety can also act as a motivator, helping us to get out of bed in the morning or complete a task that’s been hanging over our head. But, when we notice anxiety persisting throughout our day, even when the possibility of threat has passed, it might be time for an emotional tune-up.
You’re excited your kids are getting older and more independent, but you often reflect back on the days when you weren’t constantly hearing about the “drama” going on in 8th grade. It’s difficult to know what to do when every other day your daughter seems to have a new best friend and there’s continuous talk of “The Mean Girl”. Add on top of that the technology that teens have to deal with, it’s hard to figure out how to best support your child and ensure that they are handling all this interpersonal conflict in a positive way. Here are a few ideas of how to handle The Mean Girl and support your teen so you both can (hopefully) avoid wanting to rip your hair out.
Original article from Indy’s Child
August is upon us, closing down those last bits of summer and pulling back the curtain for a brand-new school year. Here’s the truth though, there is only one thing about the future I can tell you for certain: this year will be different. By now, most of us have heard our school’s tentative back-to-school plan for the fall but given the fragility of certainty we have seen over the past few months, that “plan” might not feel so secure. As a parent, that makes me feel uncomfortable, and probably you too. You might have been a care-free, go with the flow kind of person before becoming a parent, but if you don’t agree that after having kids it’s best to have some sense of plan about the future, then you’re probably lying to yourself. For most people, uncertainty and ambiguity about their future is unsettling. And, if we adults are unsettled, I guarantee our kids are feeling it, too. Here are a few ideas about how best to navigate your family’s uncertainty bus through the new school year.
In yoga there is this concept of full range of motion. It is why we push ourselves to be able to reach certain poses and lean in a little bit further. Many people never get to their full range of bodily motion because it takes years of dedicated practice, and the willingness to be constantly be leaning into your physical pain. Not to mention attending trainings and buying the equipment needed can be costly—ouch! However, with dedication, consistency, willingness to learn, and maybe spend a little, people can get close—if not completely—reach their full range of motion. Little by little, if you stick with your daily practice, you will begin to notice more ease in your daily movements. This is a place I have gotten to with yoga before; however, many barriers came up along the way, and eventually I lost the dedication and inspiration. Needless to say, I am back to having back pain and general discomfort as I move about.
Original article from Indy’s Child
But we’ve also seen many of our favorite local Indy businesses step up and face the challenges of the pandemic head on. We reached out to hear from them directly, to see how they’ve adjusted and what they’re looking forward to.
Do you have an unhealthy relationship with food? What’s the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating? How can you change the food and workout conversation?
In this podcast episode, Melissa Vogel talks to Kate Fisch about loving food and yourself.
Over the past week, our country has been rocked by the news of George Floyd’s unnecessary death at the hands of the police. This video, coming on the heels of countless others, shows the continued injustices and challenges faced by the black community. Our children are learning and absorbing information from the world around them and as parents, we have the unique opportunity to help guide them through discussions about the hard stuff that is necessary to bring about change. At times, our parental instincts are to shelter and protect them from the world when it gets scary, but that is a privilege that unfortunately, not all families have. Black families and children have been having deep conversations about racism and inequality from early on as they have faced discrimination on a systemic level for decades. Now more than ever, it is important to have conversations about race and racism with your children, particularly in households that have not been having these discussions. So, where do we start? Here are five suggestions on how to navigate this conversation with your children:
Continue Reading